SENSUPPLANTPRO

The world population is increasing. From 1960 to 2025 the European population has grown by 30%, placing substantial pressure on the current food system, which is already insufficient. Moreover, existing food production and consumption account for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, and any further rise exacerbates the climate impact. Therefore, the development of a more sustainable food system is required. One key component is the protein transition, which focuses on the development and use of new plant-based protein sources instead of poorly sustainable animal proteins. Food products derived from these novel protein sources are commercially less attractive because they often taste bitter and contain compounds that interfere with nutrient uptake (anti-nutrients). The bitterness results partly from bitter-tasting constituents (polyphenols) and partly from compounds formed during food-processing reactions, such as the Maillard reaction between proteins and sugars under heat. This project aims both to stimulate binding between proteins and polyphenols and to chemically modify the polyphenols. This has the following effects: (1) a reduction of bitterness in food products containing plant proteins; (2) a more nutritious product through the deactivation of anti-nutrients and improved polyphenol uptake. To achieve these aims, SENSUPPLANTPRO constitutes a cross-border public-private partnership involving stakeholders from the entire food supply chain: consumers, companies focused on flavour perception, producers of protein-rich foods, suppliers of alternative protein ingredients, and research institutions. The ultimate goal of SENSUPPLANTPRO is to develop a demonstrably sustainable, healthy, and palatable food product, to conduct market research, and to introduce the product to the market, thereby contributing to food security and the transition towards a more sustainable food system.